had been provided with a really competent, zealous
and faithful staff, as the generals of continental Europe invariably
are. But it seems that here, neither the generals nor the government
even desire to understand the true nature, duty, and value of the
staff of an army, or what the chief of such a staff ought to know
and ought to do. What, in fact, can we at all reasonably expect from
a Halleck! After all, however, and shallow as are his brains, this
mock Carnot must have read books on military science; and yet he has
not learned either the use or the composition of a staff for an
army! Had he done so, he would have organized a staff for himself,
and one for each of the commanders in the field. It is true that in
this country there is no school of staffs, and West Pointers are
generally ignorant on that point. Nevertheless, with a little good
will and care, it would be easy enough to find intelligent officers
of all grades fit for staff duties as arranged for staff officers in
Europe. But then, the necessary good will and good judgment are
wanting in the head of this military organization. And this Halleck,
this Halleck is a mere mockery, a mere sciolist, a shallow pretender
to military science. He may have the capacity to translate a book,
but nothing of all that he translates effects any hold upon his
brain, or he would, long before now, have done something towards
organising the army. A general inspector is the first necessity.
Then establish the necessary proportions of each arm of the service,
_i. e._, of infantry, cavalry and artillery for each division. Then
organise the cavalry as a body. When you do this, or even a
considerable part of all this, oh, sham-Carnot, Halleck! then your
chance to be considered a military authority will be established.
Oh, science, oh, insulted science! How desecrated is thy name in the
high places here, and especially on the right and left of the White
House. And oh! you really great and intelligent American PEOPLE, how
ignominiously you are cheated of your blood, your time, your money,
and most of all, of your so recently magnificent national
reputation!

What your military wiseacres show you as an organized army, would
actually thrill, as with the death-shudder, any European military
organizer.

_Dec. 23._--I learn that the day following the butchery at
Fredericksburgh, Burnside wished to renew the attack. What madness!
The generals protested, and Burnside, greatly exasperated